


Maybe the coffee isn't that bad...

by Laty



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, levihan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:01:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29586237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laty/pseuds/Laty
Summary: Levi owns a tea room. And there is always this client who comes to a corner to review and order coffee. She has oily hair, she is disorganized, constantly overexcited and she orders coffee in a tea room. Anything to annoy him. And yet he doesn't know why, but he can't help but look at her, even though he sees her smiling so joyfully. And maybe he's been waiting for the opportunity to get to know her...
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Hange Zoë
Comments: 5
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Good morning! This is my first fanfiction here, so I hope I like it. I wanted to apologize in advance if my writing style is not perfect, English is not my native language.  
> Have a good read!

The day had been pretty hollow and Levi was beginning to despair of customers arriving. There were a few students in a corner, but they had been there for a good hour and it was certainly not enough to make the quota of the day. As if in response to his inner concerns, the chime of the front door suddenly resons recanted, announcing the presence of a customer. Except that at the familiar sight of the brunette, Levi already regretted the calm that prevailed until then. In fact, he didn't even know his name. It was possible, however, that she had told him, she was incredibly talkative in nature and was rambling so fast that he tended to stall. On reflection, he did not even know if she was really a woman or a man. It was a question he had long asked himself and by observing her for several days, he had come to assume that she looked more like a woman than a man. But then again, he was not entirely sure. And he had no intention of asking him. On the contrary, the less he spoke to her, the better. There was something that annoyed her about this -supposed woman. Probably the fact that she's still in disarray, or her mania for talking for an hour when he just wanted her to put her ass on a chair and give her peace. 

Sighing, he dropped his account book to grab a cup, preparing to launch the coffee machine. He could not say how long she had been coming here, but enough for him to guess that she was planning to order a coffee. She never had tea and there was only one coffee on the menu. Levi reluctantly added it after several customers complained that there were none. That thought still made him roll his eyes. Seriously, it was a tea room here, not a café. That, too, was something that annoyed her about this woman: that she was one of those customers who never ordered tea. Why come here if she wanted coffee? But the customer is king so he was going to swallow his exasperation and prepare the drink to the brunette who was happily approaching the counter. Noticeing that he had already anticipated his order, a mischievous smile cracked his face. 

"Hey, who said I was having coffee today?" she teased. 

Frowning, he rested the cup and crossed his arms to fix it, silent. Levi was not known for being talkative, far from it and there was no question of getting into his game. He preferred to wait for her to correct him and tell him what she wanted. He had little hope that the brunette would finally decide to go to tea, but knowing her, something told him that she just wanted to annoy him. She was always like that. They never had long conversations, and yet she always spoke with familiarity, joking with him as if they were close, even throwing small spades at him, sometimes. As he expected, she confessed with a sheepish laugh that he was not wrong and that she was planning to have a cup of coffee. Rolling his eyes for any answer, he poured the drink into the cup before serving it to him while announcing the price, his face impassive. She had to come out with a victorious cry an old crumpled note from her bag. She was always like that. Completely disorganized. It was irritating. 

Finally, she settled down on the counter in front of him. Although he did not show it, Levi was somewhat surprised that she would get there. It was unusual. In general, she would always find a chair in a corner and unpack her classes to delve into her revisions. She was then completely in her bubble, forgetting the world around her. But he was always well aware of his presence, because of the laughter or exclamations that were unannounced. He shrugged. Maybe she wasn't sitting away because there were fewer people than usual. For a moment, he had wondered if it was not to engage in conversation with him. Although she often allowed herself some teasing, he had never really exchanged. However, she was already pulling out her computer and his stack of courses, as if nothing had happened. He didn't even know why he could have thought that. She wasn't the first customer to sit at the counter, there was nothing wrong with that. Shaking his head, he went back to his business. Doing the accounts, cleaning the worktop for the hundredth time of the day... Although he soon ran out of tasks and surprised himself to observe his client. 

It was hard not to have the eye drawn to her. Although completely immersed in her revisions, she sometimes suddenly agitated or pushed an exclamation of joy. And then she put her course sheets in a total mess. Maybe that was what annoyed her at home. She was loud and disorganized. It was a miracle that his computer had never had coffee because he frequently spilled it everywhere. Sometimes she would also order a pastry shop and put crumbs everywhere. The idea that she was using her keyboard with her sticky fingers made her wince. Yet he had to admit that she still had the decency to clean up her mess behind her. Quite clumsily, of course, and his cleaning methods made the clean freak wince, but it was still correct on his part. Except that for some obscure reason, she annoyed him more than others. He startled when he heard her laugh, suddenly. His face had this amazement expression and his eyes shone with delight. Her smile was so bright that he wouldn't even be surprised if she was told she was the fucking goddess of joy. And maybe that was what annoyed her at home. His fucking smile. 

She was always smiling. She had that spontaneity and joy that he was incapable of. While he couldn't express his emotions, she was quite the opposite. Without even knowing her much, he could tell if it had been a good day for her or not. It was infuriating the way she had fun on her own and laughing suddenly. And fucking why does his heart always tighten at this sight? Why did he feel like he was mourning his smile as his face regained a more serious expression? Knowing her, it wasn't like it was the last time he'd see him. And even if it did, what was the problem? He didn't know her. How did seeing her happy mean anything to him? He shouldn't even care about her. Lost in his thoughts, he did not realize that she had dropped out of class and looked at him with curiosity before she spoke. 

"Hey! I've always wondered: are you the owner of the café?"

It took a few seconds for Levi to understand that the question was addressed to him. It was obvious that she could not be to someone else, none of her employees were there at the moment. However, she was always too focused in her work to discuss more than necessary. She would give him one-way conversation while he was preparing his orders and always say a happy goodbye to him, but never again. He frowned, as if looking for a hidden meaning to the question. She seemed too eccentric and direct to start a conversation in such a clumsy manner. Unsying any trap, he nevertheless decided to answer. 

"It's a tea room."

She stared at him for a moment, without saying anything, her eyes wide-eyed before bursting out laughing. He stared at her, staring blankly, not seeing what was so amusing. Once she calmed down, she insisted. 

"What about? Are you the owner?"  
"Yes," he replied flatly.  
"Ah! I was sure!" she exclaimed cheerfully, clapping her hands. 

Why did she have to be so expressive all the time? He squinted his eyes, without looking away from her, as if to encourage him to continue, wanting to know why it was so obvious. 

"I mean, who calls his _tea room_ "The Underground"? I couldn't decently imagine it was Petra's idea! Mikasa to the limit... But the inside is more like you! It's not cozy as you would expect from a tea room, it's... Square. Everything is in its place as if it had been calculated to the millimeter. I don't know why, but I always thought it sounded like your style!"

"Nothing forces you to come, if you don't like it."

"I didn't say that," she replied, brushing her words with her hand. 

"Anyway, who comes to a _tea room_ for coffee?" he laughed. He didn't even know why he was continuing the conversation. Was he afraid it would end? And wasn't that the worst thing to say? Wasn't she in danger of getting offended and not coming back? 

"Mmmh... I don't like tea too much. It's a little bland, don't you think?"

He frowned. Was she stupid? He had just confirmed to her that he was the owner of the shop. Of course he liked tea. He did not even bother to answer, allowing the silence to settle again. The brunette must have realized her clumsiness since she was taken with a sheepish laugh and rested her eyes on her computer, playing distractedly on the keyboard. Her eyes suddenly widened and she rose abruptly, almost startling him. 

"Oh my God! It's already so late! I have to go!"

She put her computer in her bag and clumsily stuffed her course sheets into it. Grabbing her cup, she swallowed her coffee at full speed, half choking in passing. It's a good thing it's cooled down. Levi no longer counted the number of times he had seen it burned. She took her tray and grimaced when she saw that she had spilled some. 

"A-ah... A towel... Damn..."

Rolling his eyes, Levi suddenly snatched his tray from his hands. It was obvious that she was in a hurry and it was frustrating to see her panicked like that. It was kind of contagious and he almost felt compelled to help him. Few customers had the courtesy to clean up their mess behind them so he could handle it for her, at least today. Rather than tell him not to worry, the only thing he found to say in front of his astonished expression was: 

"If you find the tea bland, it's because you never had to taste a good tea."  
"H-huh...?"  
"Next time, you'll have tea. And you will avoid spilling them everywhere, that I do not have to fix your shits.

The surprise left her silent for a few seconds before she burst out laughing. It sounded like music to his ears. She seemed to understand the message and abandoned the idea of cleaning the counter. Smiling happily, she waved to him. 

"That's a promise, then, Levi!"

How do you-... Ah, his badge. His first name was written on it.  
He watched her come out of the shop.  
Maybe he should ask her his name next time.  
What kind of tea should he recommend?


	2. Chapter 2

Hange had managed to catch up with his bus just in time. Out of breath, she dropped herself into a free seat. She should thank Levi for that, without him she should have waited for the next one. A victorious smile cracked his face at this thought. Finally, she had a real interaction with him. It may not have been the longest conversation, but it was the only one that foreshadowed a sequel. It was hard to explain why, but Levi intrigued her. Perhaps it was just in its eccentric and extroverted nature, to go to people. Especially the impassive, cold people like him. She wanted to break her shell. At first, it was just a little curiosity. She wondered what was behind that façade. But he never answered his teasing so she didn't insist. Then there had been rare times when she had been allowed sarcastic aftershocks. It was a humor that lacked tact and would have offended many but not her. It amused her, on the contrary. Hange had never been a difficult audience, almost any kind of humour knew how to amuse him. 

She wasn't sure when it started, but she had begun to hope to have another one of her sarcastic remarks every time she started the conversation. Sometimes that was the case. Other times no and she felt her chest swelled with disappointment. It was a strange feeling. Why even expect something from a stranger? Except she didn't want it to end there, and she wasn't the type to give up. So she was getting more and more insistent. He either didn't know it or he pushed her away. The brunette always got tired, anyway. Although she would have liked to have had hours available just to force the man to open up to her, that was not the case. She came first and foremost to revise her courses and she had to do it. And then Levi sometimes had other clients to manage. She would not be able to build any friendship with him if she made him lose customers. 

But today, the tea room was unusually empty. Perhaps that was why she had decided to sit in front of him. Then start the conversation on a whim. She laughed, thinking back to the way he had corrected her about the fact that it was not a coffee shop. Anyone else would have been uncomfortable being corrected so coldly but for some obscure reason, Hange had just found it hilarious. It wasn't mockery, it was just... Levi's seriousness was fun and it made her want to tease him. But it would be for another time. In the meantime, it was better for her to look for an excuse for her delay. As if to punish her for the delay, her phone suddenly rang and posted the name of her roommate. Hange immediately took the call, unable to hold a grimace. But there was no need to make his case worse by ignoring her. 

"Hello?"  
"Hange..." began his roommate suspiciously. Don't tell me you've forgotten and you're still working? Or worse, are you still doing one of your experiments?"  
"No, I promise! I'm on my way here! I'm coming soon!"  
"Where are you?"  
"You're not going to sulk for a few minutes late?"  
"I'm starting the show without you, otherwise."  
"Hey, that's not very nice!"

A slight laugh escaped from the phone, a sign that her friend could not blame her for long. 

"I've already ordered," she added.   
"Pizza?"  
"Mmh. If you get here before dinner, maybe I'll forgive you."

With this, his roommate hung up and Hange could not suppress an amused smile. She could easily imagine her looking up at the sky, all the way to their call. Or sigh heavily in the face of the punctuality of the brunette. It must be said that she knew her well. And it was reciprocal since her friend had understood very well that she would be more than "a few minutes late" and refused to tell her where she was, precisely because she was still far away. No doubt for that she had challenged her to arrive before the pizzas. Hange shrugged at this thought, sliding his phone into his bag at the same time. Not as if she could ask the driver to go faster. The rest of the journey went smoothly and she got off the bus at full speed, crossing her fingers to get there in time. She reached her building, preferring the stairs to the elevator. She only lived on the second floor and the elevator was so old that she was willing to bet that one day someone would get stuck in it. And she refused to be that person. She was too overwhelmed a woman for that! 

She quickly reached the landing and her eyes widened when she saw the delivery man, ready to knock on the door. She yelled at him to stop before rushing to him and opening the door before he had time to do anything. Sneaking inside, she jumped with joy and let out a victory cry: she had arrived just before! It was a small apartment that looked directly onto the living room. Her roommate was sluggish on the couch and she could see from here her jaded look. Hange turned again to the delivery man, innocently asking him if he wanted anything. She knew this very well, but imagining the exasperation on her friend's face only made her smile bigger. The poor employee was completely lost and had to go back several times to ask for payment, as he stuttered. Ah. On the other hand, the idea of having to pay had the immediate effect of making her lose her smile and she moaned with frustration. 

"P-pieeeeck!"

She turned again to the living room, looking for the gaze of Pieck, her famous roommate, but all she got was an ironic sneer. 

"You're the one who wanted to play the smartest, get on with it."

Hange sighed. She knew that Pieck was teasing her and would come to pay if she really could not afford it. But the truth was that the brunette already owed her a lot of money. She could pay for this time. She paid by credit card before picking up the pizzas and closing behind her. She hurried to throw herself into the sofa. Pieck barely had time to pull back his legs so as not to get run over. She shot her with her eyes in passing, but Hange merely shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. She opened the boxes, unveiling a four-cheese pizza and a Hawaiian. The second was hers. Of course, it was just her to enjoy the pineapple pizza. Catching her pizza, Pieck made fun of her food tastes, as she always did. They continued to bicker for a few seconds. That's how their friendship worked. It was tough love. Hange was constantly exhausting Pieck with his excess energy. And Pieck would give him a jaded look, throwing sarcastic teasing at him or pretending to ignore him when Hange was really too excited. Oh thin. Did she have a type? Did she like people who either didn't know her or answered her sarcasm? That would explain why Levi intrigued her so much. It was divided between panic and amusement, following this sudden revelation. But she soon forgot all about it when she notified the screen on a break on TV. 

"But you really started without me!" she was offended. 

Pieck simply shrugged, smiling at him smirking. Well, maybe she didn't have a type. Pieck was definitely more expressive than Levi. Not by much, though. Or the difference was that Pieck didn't seem to want to kill her just by looking at her? Although, sometimes it could be terribly scary too. 

"I'm outraged," Hange mumbled as he postponed the episode at the beginning. 

The evening continued quietly. Apart from the fact that Pieck threatened to reveal the rest of the episode to her if she didn't calm down. And it only worked halfway. The brunette didn't know how to stay in place for very long. But they were spending a good time and that was the main thing. Hange even went to serve them ice cream. There were almost none left. She would have to think about running again. Or that Pieck's going to do them. Or she asks Moblit. Yeah, that was definitely the best solution. Savoring her vanilla ice cream, she suddenly inquired. 

"Hey Pieck?"  
"Mmh?"  
"Are you more like tea or coffee?"

Pieck squinted, staring suspiciously at her, as if her question had a hidden meaning. It reminded Hange of Levi's hesitation before answering him, when she asked him if he was the owner of the place. Was it so unlikely that she asked a question without any secret objective behind it? 

"Seriously, Hange?"

Pieck raised his arm to sweep the room. It's true that the cups of coffee stacked in the sink, the endless coffee pods and the coffee maker in the kitchen answered his question. Of course, Hange was actively involved in this coffee overdose, but she had been living with Pieck long enough to know the answer to her question. 

"You ask that of a medical student, what do you expect?" added Pieck with sarcasm. 

The brunette sneered at this answer. Well, she was also a medical student. They were both in the same class in the third year. They had met in their first year. And since then, they had learned to operate in coffee to survive all the work. Although, Hange was already abusing coffee in high school. She was able to spend sleepless nights reading science books and had to compensate with caffeine. Not very healthy but the medicine had not helped. But sometimes she would let her head out of class and throw a little party with Pieck. Watching a series, ordering a good meal, that was enough for her. The two friends were too tired to do more than that anyway.

"Yeah, but you also have a box of tea in that closet," Hange observed, pointing to the furniture. "A good tea, too."  
"I like it from time to time. It's more refined than coffee."  
"More bland, you mean?" laughed At Hange.  
"And then it's smarter to drink a cup of tea before going to sleep than a cup of coffee."

Pieck was referring to that time when Hange had drunk almost all the contents of the coffee maker one evening and had been so overexcited that she had not slept all night. She had been whining with her roommate for several hours before she locked herself in her room. With earplugs, to make sure it doesn't bother her anymore. Hange grimaced at this memory. One point for Pieck. 

"Why are you asking me that?"  
"Someone promised to make me enjoy tea."

That was not exactly what Levi had said. Not at all. He'd just ordered her to have tea next time. But that was because he wanted to prove to her that it wasn't bland. So she wasn't totally wrong in saying that. Pieck glanced at him in a curious way, trying to snatch answers from him. Hange confided in him half-wordly, laughing at his sudden interest. Her friend stared at her at length, as if she had understood something that the brunette was not even aware of. However, she sighed heavily when Hange explained to her that she wanted to be friends with Levi. And she eventually loses interest when she began to lay out her plan to win the man's friendship. 

The evening ended when the two friends fell asleep on top of each other. This was not surprising from Pieck. This woman had the gift of being able to sleep anywhere. Sometimes she would fall asleep on the floor and cause fear for those around her who thought she was passed out. It was more surprising that Hange ended up shutting up and getting some sleep. That anything was possible. After that, the week resumed its normal course and it passed several days before Hange had time to return to the tea room. She jumps through the door, excited at the thought of resuming her conversation with Levi. She walked merrily to the counter. Today it was Petra who stood at the reception. 

"Hello Petra! How are you?"  
"All right, what about you?"  
"Great! Today I found a great video of vasectomy. It was really very well filmed, it was fascinating! Did you know that the man is not sterile immediately after the operation? There are still about ten ejaculations with sperm, before man becomes truly sterile."  
"O-oh... Really? I didn't know."

Petra laughs nervously. At first, Hange's enthusiasm and interests made her confused. Now she had gotten used to it. It was sometimes a little embarrassing but she never took it badly. In fact, there was also something tender about it. Even though she often had to stop it in order to be able to take over the next customer. This time, however, Hange stopped on her own. It was almost surprising. 

"By the way, Petra! Is Levi here?"

Petra raised an eyebrow with surprise. How long has Hange been so close to her boss? Anyway... It was only half amazing. The brunette was the type to sympathize with everyone and never worry about Levi's rudeness. In fact, he was one of the only clients in front of whom Levi sometimes allowed himself to be himself. Of course, he was quite cold towards all the guests, but he still made the effort to stay polite. While with Hange, he threw a few spades at her. But it was still casual. Petra of course expected them to get a little closer one day. Hange was already close to her, and even to Mikasa, the other employee. And yet Mikasa was not easy to approach. In short, it was only a matter of time before it was Levi's turn. She and Mikasa sometimes made bets on it. Petra must have admitted to being disappointed that she had missed this rapprochement. She kept these thoughts to herself. She simply nodded and went to let her boss know that someone was asking for it. 

Hange waved cheerfully when he saw Levi arrive. She almost jumped on the spot, too excited, as always. He shot her in return. If looks could kill... She shrugged, as if to tell her that it didn't work for her. He approached the counter, crossed his arms, looking up and down. He always had strange manners. Some would think of rudeness. Hange preferred to interpret it as social clumsiness. She smiles softly at him, as if to encourage him to speak first. 

"What do you want, Four Eyes?"

Hange instinctively put his hand to his glasses. He didn't have a better nickname? Well, she would tell him of his lack of originality another time. 

"Tea."

It was rare that she didn't talk more than that. That the tea was so bland that he even managed to stop her from talking, she, Hange Zoe. His lips writhed in a mocking smile at this thought. But she kept that thought to herself. It was just provocation at this point. She preferred to wait to see Levi's reaction. He nodded slowly before pulling out a cup and heating the water. She smiles. He understood the message: she did not want to choose one but let him decide for her. Or was she the one who understood her message? That he didn't just order her to order tea, but rather promised to advise her? Whatever. She strayed to let Petra take care of the other clients during this time. 

"Oh, by the way, I was talking to Petra about the vasectomy video I saw today!"  
"Don't scare my employees with your shit."  
"I told him it doesn't make the man sterile right away. There are still about ten ejaculations where the seminal fluid still contains sperm," she continued, ignoring it royally.   
"As long as they can still pee."

His sentence at least had the merit of stopping Hange. Raising an eyebrow, she stared at him, as if to see if he was serious. Focused on his task, he did not seem to realize the astonishment of the brunette. She finally laughed. She had noticed that Levi was more likely to respond when she talked about shit. Literally. Or piss, in this case. Although not. He was the one who started with the piss today. And even if it was always sarcastic... It was fun to see once again that he had that kind of humor. There was something childish about it. And she thought that was it... Cute? Oh my god. Pieck was right when she said she had questionable tastes. Levi drew her from her thoughts by placing the cup on the counter, beckoning her to come and settle there. She trotted happily to him, taking a seat on the stool. 

She observed the amber liquid for a while. Rather than a tea bag, it was a tea ball that infused. Had he prepared a particular mixture just for her? If that was the case, it was not to displease her. Besides, the man was waiting, planted in front of her. Although he did before Petra went to get him, he would rather wait for his reaction than go back. She felt flattered. Smiling for herself, she decided to taste. She blew several times on the liquid before dipping her lips. His eyes widened. It was... Good. It had a fruity taste and it was not bland at all. Contrary to what she expected. Surprised, she looked up at Levi- who was still standing, otherwise she should have looked down-. The victorious glow in his grey eyes made her understand that he had guessed his satisfaction. 

"So?"  
"It's good," she confessed.   
"What were you saying again? Bland?"

Hange looked up at the sky at this reminder. 

"Sorry, I'm sorry! You tea lovers are all susceptible!"  
"Um?"  
"My roommate likes tea too."  
"She has good tastes"  
"Of course. I only surround myself with the best."  
"Or maybe not. She can't have good taste and have you as a friend."

Rather than get offended, Hange burst out laughing. She protested, but it was with amusement. Either she could read between the lines and understood that it wasn't mean, or she didn't give a damn. In both cases, there was no discomfort. In fact, it was a relaxed atmosphere that settled down between them. And even though the silence came back quickly, it was comfortable. The brunette grabs the menu, scouring it with her eyes. She read carefully the composition of each drink. However, she was unable to identify which was her own. 

"Which is my tea?" she finally asked.   
"It's not on the menu."

She had assumed that it could have been the case, but hearing it from Levi made her happier than she should be. 

"Really? Oh Levi, I'm honored to be the first to test it! I don't know much about tea but I can assure you it is delicious! You can add it to the menu right away, it will be a success!"  
"It's precisely because you're an amateur that your opinion is shit. Shitty Glasses.  
"Didn't you find it more original?"  
"Have you ever thought about introducing yourself?"

Oh. One point for Levi.   
Yet Hange felt as if she had won. It was a huge step forward that he indirectly asked her to run.

"Let's do it all from the beginning, then. Nice to meet you, Levi. I'm Hange Zoe. I'm sure we'll get along well!"  
"Shitty Glasses."  
"Are we already on the nicknames? All right, shorty."  
"And you were the one who criticized my originality?" he growled, looking up at the sky. 

Hange chuckled. It is true that she had not gone far. Silence fell. Levi announced that she had to go back to work, and she nodded silently. Even though this little exchange was very nice, she had to get back to work. Before that, she asked Petra to take a picture of her with her cup of tea. She hurriedly sent the photo to Pieck, telling him in passing that she had succeeded in the first stage of her plan. Her friend probably hadn't listened to the plan, but never mind. In short, it was all very well but now it was time to work on anatomy plans instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed introducing Pieck to this chapter! She's a character I really like and I've always thought she'd get along with Hange if they met in a different context. I hope you like it, too. Don't hesitate to tell me what you thought of the chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Levi was in the kitchen of the shop when Petra came to tell him that someone was asking for it. Perplexed, he quickly went around his entourage. Mikasa? He was his cousin and he had already come to the tea room outside of his working hours to ask him for advice. Except it was the weekend and she had gone home to her parents. She was only in town on weekdays, it was closer to her high school. So it couldn't have been her. Kenny? It's been a long time since he'd heard from his uncle - and so much the better. And he was sure Petra would have looked more panicked than that if it was Kenny. Erwin? It was possible. Sometimes Erwin would find an hour off on his busy schedule and would come and spend it in the tea room. In those moments, Levi let Mikasa or Petra take care of the clients and came to settle down with him to chat. He told his employee that he was finishing what he was doing before he came. Petra runs away before he can get more information about his guest. 

That's what it wasn't supposed to be that important. He put his cookies in the oven and washed his hands before joining his employee. Ah. It was not Erwin waiting outside the counter. It was this eccentric and completely crazy woman to whom he had made this stupid promise, on a whim. He had very quickly regretted it. And yet he had seriously thought about the tea he should offer her. Every tea in his shop was homemade, and he had started to prepare one especially for the brunette on his way home. It was stupid. The preparation had to rest a fortnight before being served. He knew she would come back sooner than that. Yet he had thought too long about what to offer him in order not to do so.

Was he supposed to make her black tea? It was the one with the most taste. But the student complained that the tea was bland. Or green tea? His bitterness might remind him of coffee. No. She had to emancipate herself from the coffee. She was using it so much that it was an addiction at this point. So red tea? Contrary to popular belief, there was caffeine even in tea. Except in red tea, it was the only one that did not contain any. Because it wasn't really tea but an infusion... It was called this by abuse of language. Maybe he'd offer it to her someday, but not for his first time. Black tea was his favorite, but he wanted to offer something more subtle to his client. Maybe a way of telling him to learn to be more distinguished. White tea? No. It was too subtle this time. So Oolong tea? It was perfect. It was a refined tea but far from bland. On the contrary, it had a fruity flavor. 

Now that the base was chosen, he had to think about the toppings. He had remembered that time when the woman had ordered a candied orange chocolate with her coffee. Not that he was paying attention to what she was taking but it had marked him because... She had waited too long to eat it, to the point that it had melted and she had put it everywhere. Worse than that, she had carelessly wiped her mouth with her sleeve. It was disgusting. But when he thought about it, he had deduced that she loved orange. Maybe add goji berries? It was full of vitamins. A student certainly needed it. But he feared that the taste would conflict too much with the orange... And what about gingko leaves? This plant stimulated memory and learning. Should he also add something sweet? Like nougat or caramel... In Levi's eyes, it was heresy. But a lot of customers liked it. No, he could not stoop to it. Not this time. He was just going to add hibiscus for a flowery flavor and that would be enough. He opted for a tangerine essential oil. It was a calming oil and my God, this woman needed to calm down. And it would go perfectly with orange. 

Except that its preparation had to dry for another week before being served. And the woman was in front of him, asking for her tea. Should he just pick one at random? The menu was very varied, it was not the choice that was missing. But he couldn't just do that, after he'd put so much effort into it. So he decided to mix two types of tea. It was risky but he knew enough to afford it. One of those caramel teas he despised and one with goji berries. Vitamins and sugar. It would have a pretty strong fruity taste. Not as subtle as he had originally prepared but the goal was that she likes. And the gleam in her eyes as she tasted made him understand that he had succeeded. He swallowed his victorious smile. His victory left him with a mixed feeling. Of course, he was happy to see her change her mind about tea but... He couldn't help but think back to all his efforts for nothing. 

The brunette had no idea of Levi's inner conflict and happily made the conversation for him. Unexpectedly, Levi surprised himself to enjoy the moment. He even got her name. Hange Zoe. He wanted to pronounce it out loud, to appreciate his sound, but his pride held him back. Instead, he settled for the nickname he had found for her. Levi was not one to worry about the opinions of others. Yet he had feared for a second that she would be offended. He had no excuse to treat her like that now that she had introduced herself. But she didn't take it badly at all. On the contrary. She had thrown her head back and laughed. She was always like that. She laughed as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She was so happy and optimistic that it burned his eyes. And he was surprised to want to see more. He admired its authenticity. And that thought frightened him. No doubt that was why he ended the conversation, pretending that they both had things to do. 

That was not wrong. She had to work and he had to go back to the kitchen. He wasn't running away. This is what he kept saying to himself as he took his cookies out of the oven and was already planning another tour. He moved the rest of the afternoon to work. Cook pastries. Prepare tea bags. Check the accounts. Cleaning up. He had always been a hard-working person who never balked at the task. The work in the back room suited him better. He had nothing against holding the counter, but he had to admit that his rude manners did not please everyone. Petra was the best in relational terms. Speaking of which, her service was over and she came to say goodbye. All he had to do was clean up the customer areas and close the shop. However, he was surprised to find that Hange was still there. She furiously annotated her classes, lost in her world, as if nothing around her mattered. He frowned. Why didn't Petra tell her they were closing? Sighing, he approached his table. 

"Oi Four Eyes."

There's no answer. He tried twice, still with no results. It didn't really surprise him. It wasn't the first time he had to fight for her to notice. Exasperated, he abruptly snatched his leaves from his hands. The brunette jumped, raising her arms in the air in an expression of surprise, wide-eyed. It was almost comical. She blinked several times, as if trying to assimilate the situation. She was so disconnected from reality that she always needed a little time to adapt. 

"Did you miss me already?" she will whisper by butterflying her eyes. His eyebrows arched in a teasing expression. If her expression was supposed to be seductive, it was a failure. It was more ridiculous than anything else.  
"Don't say shit. We're closing."  
"What? Already?! Woah, I really didn't see the time go by, sorry! But you know, these schema of the digestive system were really exciting and-."  
"Shut up."

He sighed, massaging his temples wearily. Why was he already worried? There was no fear that there could be anything between them, she was unbearable. There was no way he could be even friends with such a girl. Isn't it? He raised his voice to repeat her that the shop was going to close, finally managing to interrupt his monologue. She apologized with a laugh, scratching her back of her hair with an embarrassed expression. Although he had little interaction with her, he had noticed that she was full of manias, like this one. It was clumsy. And cute in a way. Oh,. What was he thinking? On the contrary, it was disgusting. Her hair looked so greasy and she put her hand in it like that. Hange began to pick up her belongings and stuff everything foolishly into his bag. He frowned with displeasure. She was always doing that and it was terribly frustrating. Each time, he resisted the urge to take his bag out of his hands and sort everything out. This time it was stronger than him and before he realized it, he had his classes in his hands. 

"E-eh! What are you doing?"  
"I'm tidying up your fucking mess, because you're not going to do it yourself."

He already expected to hear her laugh, yet it was not. For a moment, he feared he had offended her and slowly looked up at her. Fortunately, she was just too stunned to react. A thin sigh of relief crossed his lips. He carefully sorted all the scattered leaves. Couldn't she have numbered them? It was fucking complicated to order them. Especially when he didn't know anything about it. He suddenly froze by notifying a brown stain on one of the papers. Food? No word would be enough to describe the disgust on his face. 

"What is this?"  
"Oh, that? I dropped some chocolate mousse on it last time!"she laughs  
"It looks like shit. You're so fucking disgusting."

As always, she preferred to laugh at it. There was a limit to never being offended, damn it. It wasn't a compliment. He was going to have to disinfect his hands after that. Growing in disgust, he finished putting everything in his bag before throwing it in his face. Hange made a growl of protest by catching up with it. That shit that used to be her bag didn't deserve better treatment. She put on her coat before turning again to him, smiling broadly at him. That fucking smile. He was said to have contained all the joy of the world that he would believe in it. Damn. 

"Thank you again for the tea, Levi! It was really delicious. But! Because there's always a but! It's just one tea out of hundreds. It doesn't prove to me at all that tea is good. Maybe that was an exception. I'm going to have to taste more to convince me."

He stared at her, impassive. That was an excuse to keep talking to him, wasn't it? He found it hard to believe that anyone would be interested in him at this point. In fact, every time Hange tried to get closer to him, he thought he had to get ideas. But this time he saw no other reason for his sudden passion for tea. Somehow, he thought he'd give her a cup and it would be over. Everything would go back to the way it was. A few clumsy spades and no more. Maybe that's why he tried to prolong the moment by putting his things away. Because he was afraid it would end before it even started. But what was supposed to start? He didn't know exactly what he did. He thought of that tea he had prepared just for her. Maybe... Maybe he didn't do it for nothing. 

"It wasn't the one I originally wanted you to taste. Come back in a week. You'll get a better one."  
"A week? Why? Oh, did you order a special tea just for me? But a week is a long time, Levi! I would have no choice but to have coffee before that." she made with a falsely sulky pout.  
"Don't say shit, Four Eyes. There are plenty of other teas. If you don't know what to take, you'll just have to ask for advice."  
"Four eyes, shitty glasses... Two nicknames, I'm honored Levi! I'm going to have to find you a second one, too. But it will be for the next time. See you, Shorty!"

And without a word more, she hurried out of the tea room. She waved her hand behind the glass door before returning to her path. Like last time, she had left the conversation unresolved. As if to say, "I'm not done with you." As if these ridiculous promises were the pillars of their relationship. That because of that, they could get to know each other. And Levi clung to it stupidly. It was fucking pathetic. 

"It's a promise, then... Hange." he muttered to himself. 

Her name wasn't unpleasant to pronounce.  
But he wouldn't tell her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I wanted to do the chapter longer. I had even started writing after that, but finally I thought it was a good idea to finish it as the first chapter. I hope you liked it too


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